The year was 1952 and I had not yet started Kindergarten. My parents had driven to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a vacation in our new 1951 Ford. Dad had driven down a remote highway along the coast of Lake Superior. We stopped the car and hiked through the dense forest to the edge of the Lake, a walk of about a mile. What a view and what an experience.

To this day, I still remember the cool breeze, amazing sights, and smell of evergreens. My mind still pictures the abandoned cabin we passed on that hike. For a young boy, that was a great adventure that was a defining moment in my life. And I’m thankful for my father providing that out-of-the-ordinary opportunity for me.

Perhaps you can reflect back to some memory your father provided in the early days of your life. And perhaps it would be a good time to express thanks to your earthly father for the investment he made in your young life. One of the foundational requirements of scripture is that we “honor our mother and father, that our days would be long on the earth”. The promise works for us, whether they deserve to be honored or not.

What is your memory?

Tags: Father's Day, gratefulness, honor, provision